[Albion] Time to do a deal with Chelsea

[Commander]

I have many of these conversations in Australia, often with people who haven't been within a hundred miles of their chosen teams ground. to me these are the half alive fools that Danny Baker referenced years ago. What amuses me is that they fully believe they have this connection (tattoos and all in some cases) to Chelsea, City or Liverpool via them choosing them at some point in their life. My brother in laws brother is a big city fan (suddenly about 10 years ago) and was going off like a frog in a sock about the treble. I could do little else but congratulate him with a wry smirk on my face. I know that he can't feel as good about their treble as I do about Brighton making it into Europe (I will add to that that I know I don't feel as good about it as you lot that go every week. My life choices have removed me a little from all of that). The question is, how do you try to explain that to someone.

This is totally arrogant but people can choose a team and enjoy following them. They can think that they are a true fans but without that proper connection to the community, a knowledge of what it means to ride the ups and downs and in our case what it means to save your club from ruin you cannot know what the whole thing is really about. I say this as someone who sits on the outside looking in these days.

I just don't bother speaking to people like that about football. I know loads of people who claim to be Man Utd / Chelsea / Liverpool etc. fans, when in reality they just watch them on TV and have absolutely no connection to the area or the club. To be honest, I'd even say the majority of people who are into football are like this. I think in reality they are basically football fans rather than club fans, if that makes sense. They don't really understand what it is like to support a club properly, and they don't get the feeling that we do when we win a game or have a good season.

On the other side of the coin, I often find these people know more about football (or more accurately the Premier League) than I do. I don't really care about other clubs, so don't take much interest in the players / managers etc. I'd say I'm more of a Brighton fan than a football fan really. The only people I can be bothered to talk to about football properly are those that regularly go to games (or at least have done in the past) to watch a team they have a genuine connection to. I'd far, far rather have a beer and a chat about football with a Palace fan who goes to games than a Man Utd fan who doesn't.

 

[Bodian]

I do understand though when actual fans only pay attention to the division their team is in. I do the same to a degree. The difference with the plastics is that we would support our team in any division. I think that having proper fans of other clubs on here is generally a positive (maybe Leeds being the exception) but the plastics need filtering out because their views are irrelevant.

On the other side of the coin, I often find these people know more about football (or more accurately the Premier League) than I do. I don't really care about other clubs, so don't take much interest in the players / managers etc. I'd say I'm more of a Brighton fan than a football fan really. T

I take little interest in other teams - one tem is time-consuming enough! Yes, I keep a rough eye on where things are for teams that my colleagues/friends support (the proper ones like Wolves, Sunderland, Carlisle and true homegrown Leeds / Man Utd) - but I couldn't say I knew overmuch about them, their managers or ins and outs of playing staff. But I think the difference I don't then go on to their forums spouting about my team, or professing to have such knowledge.

 

[Van Cleef]

I have many of these conversations in Australia, often with people who haven't been within a hundred miles of their chosen teams ground. to me these are the half alive fools that Danny Baker referenced years ago. What amuses me is that they fully believe they have this connection (tattoos and all in some cases) to Chelsea, City or Liverpool via them choosing them at some point in their life. My brother in laws brother is a big city fan (suddenly about 10 years ago) and was going off like a frog in a sock about the treble. I could do little else but congratulate him with a wry smirk on my face. I know that he can't feel as good about their treble as I do about Brighton making it into Europe (I will add to that that I know I don't feel as good about it as you lot that go every week. My life choices have removed me a little from all of that). The question is, how do you try to explain that to someone.

This is totally arrogant but people can choose a team and enjoy following them. They can think that they are a true fans but without that proper connection to the community, a knowledge of what it means to ride the ups and downs and in our case what it means to save your club from ruin you cannot know what the whole thing is really about. I say this as someone who sits on the outside looking in these days.

Good stuff.

Big 6 plastics are kind of beyond parody, but the ones with the tattoos..